The human spine comprises some vertebrae grouped into three sections according to location: cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle back), and lumbar spine (lower back). Soft tissues, including ligaments, muscles, and skin, surround and support the spine. Seven of the vertebrae form the cervical spine connecting the base of the head to the thorax (trunk and shoulders) and supporting the head.
In the practice of emergency medicine and the treatment of trauma, when damage to the cervical spine in suspected, there is often a need to secure the head and neck of a patient, to prevent movement of the cervical spine vertebrate and deterioration of the patient's condition. Spinal cord damage can result in partial or complete paralysis or even death.
Cervical collars are a common protective device well known in the medical art. In the treatment of spinal cord damage it is common to perform x-ray or similar imaging of the damaged area. Therefore cervical collars are often made of materials transparent to x-rays. Cervical collars are additionally often required to be lightweight and comfortable, and also to be cheap and easy to manufacture.
Furthermore, in the practice of emergency medicine and the treatment of trauma it is common for a patient to loose consciousness and the ability to maintain open airways and respiration. Loss of respiration is often fatal. There are several methods known in the art for maintaining open airways. All invasive methods to maintain an open airway involve devices that are inserted into the airway and mechanically supply an open tube aimed to maintain an open airway. One invasive technique is surgical cricothyroidotomy involving the insertion of a tube through the neck of the patient. Other invasive techniques involve tracheal intubation or laryngeal mask. The non-invasive way to protect the airway in trauma patients is by manually pushing the jaw forward.
There is therefore a need simultaneously to protect the spine and maintain open airways, as both conditions, damage to the spine and suffocation, are highly damaging, often fatal, and usually irreversible. Therefore there is a need for cervical collars to enable opening of the airways. It is thus common for cervical collars to comprise a hole or an opening in the region of the front of the neck to allow invasive techniques such as surgical cricothyroidotomy. It is well recognized in the literature that cervical collars, not only do not support the opening of the airway, but also compromise airway flow, a condition that sometimes necessitates to compromise the spine control, and open the anterior part of the collar in order to enable adequate airway.
There are techniques known in the art for maintaining open airways by maintaining an open mouth. Being less invasive than perforating the neck, they are usually preferable. However, the need to open the mouth of a patient tends to conflict with the requirement of maintaining a rigid position of the head to prevent damage to the spine. There are techniques known in the art for opening the mouth while minimizing other motion of the head. Such techniques include several variations on the jaw thrust maneuver.
Various patents show means for immobilizing the head of injured patients. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,509 discloses a cervical support that has an inherently stable support body of elastic foam material, and a jaw support regions which extend symmetrically and in mirror image relationship with respect to an imaginary longitudinal axis connecting the centers of the nape support region and the chin support region. This collar constructed from two parts is adapted to be mutually assembled rigidly, without effective means of maneuvering mandible-clasping members of the collar. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,058 teaches a disposable head and neck immobilization device allows reducing contamination hazard from transfer of bodily fluids. The mandible is effectively fastened by means of said collar, yet airway maintenance is not provided. Both devices do not inherently promote open airway, and actually can generate force in vector opposite to the needed one that acts to close the airway. Both patents do not maintain the jaw forward continually and thus they not protect the airway.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,632 presents a head rest device for use under a patient's head, the device comprising a base and a jaw thrust support having at least two protuberances extending upward from the upper surface of the base for engaging with the patient's mandible at angles of the mandible so that the patient's mandible is thrust out distracting the patient's tongue and associated structures in a direction away from the patient's head and neck, and in so doing, opening the patient's oropharynx and hypopharynx and lifting the patient's epiglottis out from in front of the patient's laryngeal inlet. Using this device, the patient's head rest in a hyperextended position that is dangerous for his cervical spine and is totally contraindicated in trauma patients. Moreover this device does not protect and stabilize the cervical spine.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,262,596 discloses a cervical collar for maintaining open airways that comprises a posterior part that is placed behind the head of a patient, an anterior part fit in front of the patient's neck and attached to the posterior part to define a motion-restricting frame, and a jaw clasp for performing a jaw thrust maneuver that is connected to the frame. As the patient's neck is covered by the anterior part, visualization of the throat during a traumatic event is not possible, seriously reducing the number of treatment possibilities that a health practitioner can take in trying to improve the well being, or even to save the life, of the patient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cervical collar that facilitates both opening of the airway as well as monitoring of the throat following a traumatic event.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.